Nickel Data Sheet
112 NICKEL (Data in metric tons of nickel content unless otherwise noted) Domestic Production and Use: In 2019, the underground Eagle Mine in Michigan produced approximately 14,000 tons of nickel in concentrate, which was exported to smelters in Canada and overseas. In October, the mine processed the first ore from the newly developed Eagle East extension. As part of the Superfund Redevelopment Initiative, a company in Missouri constructed a facility to recover metals, including nickel, from mine tailings. Nickel in crystalline sulfate was produced as a byproduct of smelting and refining platinum-group-metal ores mined in Montana. In the United States, the leading uses for primary nickel are stainless and alloy steels, nonferrous alloys and superalloys, electroplating, and other uses including catalysts and chemicals. Domestic production of stainless steel was estimated to have decreased by approximately 10% in 2019. Consumption of nickel used in alloys for jet turbine engines continued to increase. Salient Statistics—United States: 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019e Production: Mine 27,200 24,100 22,100 17,600 14,000 Refinery, byproduct W W W W W Imports: Ores and concentrates 24 (1) 64 3 — Primary 130,000 111,000 150,000 144,000 120,000 Secondary 27,100 32,300 38,100 45,100 38,000 Exports: Ores and concentrates 25,400 22,400 20,000 219,000 19,000 Primary 9,610 10,300 11,000 9,780 13,000 Secondary 51,900 63,700 51,500 67,200 49,000 Consumption: Estimated, primary metal 110,000 98,000 100,000 110,000 110,000 Estimated, secondary 120,000 130,000 130,000 120,000 120,000 Apparent, primary metal3 118,000 104,000 140,000 136,000 110,000 Apparent, total4 234,000 235,000 273,000 259,000 230,000 Price, average annual, London Metal Exchange (LME): Cash, dollars per metric ton 11,831 9,594 10,403 13,114 14,000 Cash, dollars per pound 5.367 4.352 4.719 5.977 6.30 Stocks, yearend: Consumer 19,200 15,100 14,600 16,300 16,000 LME U.S.
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